Here’s a bit of a different question. Why can’t I keep getting liposuction on the same area, over and over? Or can I?

liposuction redo

When a patient’s love handles come back why not just get more lipo? More generally, why can’t liposuction take the place of diet and exercise completely?

Dr Giraldo: This is turning into a lively little interview. A liposuction redo would be a bad idea, for several very good reasons. First and foremost you’re going to get internal scarring. It’s going to get more and more difficult to access the fat. After awhile you’d be forced to try and physically remove scar tissue and fibrous tissue to make the procedure work. It would become more an more technically challenging every time. Not to mention what you’d be doing to a patient’s metabolism, hormonal balance, thermoregulation, all of it.

It’s technically possible. A lot of things in surgery are technically possible, but that doesn’t make them good ideas.

I try to never do repeat procedures

I try to never do repeat procedures, but I have a hard time telling patients to go elsewhere when I know I have the skills to help them recover from a bad job. I’ve done revision surgery – taking a bad lipo and trying to improve upon it. Believe me, it’s not easy.

It’s an interesting question though. You could technically remove about 90% of the subcutaneous and visceral fat from a person’s body. And what you’d have would be a pretty sick patient.

Repeat liposuction is a bad idea. It isn’t healthy, for sure. But it also doesn’t look good. There’s a good chance of getting the dreaded “lumpy-bumpy” look. We’ve all seen celebs with bad lipos. You’re much more likely to get that with a second procedure. I’ve never met anyone who’s had more than two lipos on the same area, but they’re out there.

Liposuction redo is difficult work

I’ve done my share of revision surgeries. It’s difficult work, and it’s not my favorite. I strongly, actively discourage patients from doing this.

Yes. Re-dos aren’t my favorite. I’ve got to say something about realistic expectations here. Safety in number one. When people come in for liposuction, after I determine if it’s safe to operate, the second most important thing is developing realistic expectations. You have to explain to people so that they understand exactly what liposuction can and can’t do. I’ve seen patients come in for a re-do of what I recognize as an expert job. To them it’s just “not enough.” I’ve seen patients come in that had too much removed–way too much. I don’t blame these people, not one bit. It’s a failure of education.

We’re in a profession where there’s pressure to say yes. Sometimes it’s better to say no. It’s the kind of thing where patients aren’t happy, but they’d thank you if they knew what you know. We did take an oath to act in these people’s best interest, you know.

What symptoms indicate poor liposuction?

There are several different potential problems that could arise and lead to poor liposuction. Liposuction can have a number of serious side effects and undesirable outcomes if it isn’t done with the requisite care and competence, including the following:

Unevenly removing fat

The removal of fat from the area must occur consistently and uniformly during the liposuction procedure. Uneven fat removal might leave certain areas looking twisted, wavy, or lumpy. In certain instances, the damage that has developed beneath the skin as a result of your surgeon being overly forceful might also leave the skin looking permanently dimpled and similar to cellulite rather than the tight, smooth skin that you anticipated.

A buildup of fluid

Seromas, or transient pockets of fluid, can develop beneath the skin. These require draining, which is done with a needle, and have an unpleasant appearance and feel.

Skin necrosis or infection It is possible for the skin to become infected and possibly pass away with this uncommon consequence. Severe skin infections should be treated immediately since they can be life-threatening.

How Can Liposuction Results Be Improved?

Put on a compression shirt

After liposuction, some surgeons advise their patients to wear a compression garment for a few weeks.

The compression garment stimulates the skin to follow the new shapes of the body as it starts to shrink after a few months to fit the new, leaner physique. If this choice is appropriate for you, your cosmetic surgeon can tell you.

Exercise

It’s crucial to be active early on in the rehabilitation process. A complication that can happen after any operation is blood clots; comfortable walking will help lower the chance of this. After the operation, it will also help you feel better and more “normal.” After the treatment, you shouldn’t become a “couch potato,” but you should also avoid heavy activity for four weeks.